Leftovers

• Science

  • New York Times ☛ Her Discovery Wasn’t Alien Life, but Science Has Never Been the Same

    The internet erupted in controversy over Felisa Wolfe-Simon and colleagues’ claim of a microbe thriving on arsenic. Nearly 15 years later, she’s pursuing new research on the boundaries of life.

• Career/Education

  • Pro Publica ☛ Idaho Sent $2 Billion to Schools for Repairs. It’s Not Nearly Enough.

• Hardware

  • Latvia ☛ RTU and Latvian partners to launch national microchip competence center

    The Latvian government has approved co-financing the establishment of a national microchip competence center in Latvia which aims to unite leading scientific and research institutions to drive research and innovation in key specialised fields, including semiconductor microelectronics, silicon photonics, polymer photonics, and open-source semiconductor design development, reports Labs of Latvia.

  • Hackaday ☛ Push Your Toy Train No More, With This Locomotive!

    One of the most popular evergreen toys is also one of the simplest, wooden track with push-along trains. We all know the brand name, and savvy parents know to pick up the much cheaper knock-off because the kid won’t know the difference. But a really cool kid shouldn’t have to push their train around by hand, and thus [Lauri] has given the wooden track a real, powered, locomotive.

  • Hackaday ☛ It’s Always Pizza O’Clock With This AI-Powered Timepiece

    Right up front, we’ll say that [likeablob]’s pizza-faced clock gives us mixed feelings about our AI-powered future. On the one hand, if that’s Stable Diffusion’s idea of what a pizza looks like, then it should be pretty easy to slip the virtual chains these algorithms no doubt have in store for us. Then again, if they do manage to snare us and this ends up on the menu, we’ll pray for a mercifully quick end to the suffering.

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • JURIST ☛ Federal judge temporarily blocks National Institutes of Health from cutting research funding in 22 US states

    A US federal judge in Massachusetts issued an order against the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Monday, enjoining them from taking any steps to enforce administrative cuts announced Friday.

  • Federal News Network ☛ The Labor Department helps the nation’s miners in finding critical services

    The Mine Safety and Health Administration, part of the Labor Department, organized an online platform for miners, who dig things out of the earth.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ One Hong Kong doctor dies as health authorities suspect rare E. coli infection at Princess Margaret Hospital

    A Hong Kong doctor has died after he was suspected to have contracted a rare E. coli infection, the city’s health authorities have said. Two other doctors working at Princess Margaret Hospital are also suspected to have contracted the illness.

  • Ali Reza Hayati ☛ Internet is making people impatient

    About a week ago, on my day off from work, I was in a car with a friend and we were stuck in traffic when something interesting happened.

  • Ruben Schade ☛ Every day is Coffee Cheese Day at our place

    Clara and I have an AppleTV, a curious device made by a company that seemingly cares little for it. This is fantastic news from a large IT company in 2025, because it means it has mostly escaped from being stuffed with new “features” nobody wants. This is in contrast with with their iTelephones, and whatever incidental, trifling other hardware the company makes, for which they used to be famed and respected.

  • University of Michigan ☛ Just friends: Are boys and girls ever purely platonic?

    Sixteen was a year of entirely new experiences for me: It was just after the COVID-19 pandemic and the first time I’d attended in-person high school without a mask.

• Proprietary

  • Game World Observer ☛ Crytek cites “unfavorable market dynamics” in laying off 60 devs and putting next Crysis game on hold

    In a statement on social media, Crytek said it will lay off around 60 of its 400 employees. The company cited “unfavorable market dynamics” that have hit the games industry over the past several years as the main reason behind this decision.

    Crytek tried to cut operating expenses and reduce development costs by freezing the next Crysis project in the third quarter of 2024 and trying to move its developers to the Hunt: Showdown 1896 team. However, these efforts weren’t enough to make the studio financially sustainable.

  • Google's AI Ambitions Spark Cost Cuts – Over 25,000 Employees Offered Buyouts as Company Focuses on 'Speed and Efficiency'

    Google is making big moves again—this time with a voluntary exit program for over 25,000 employees in its Platforms and Devices division.

    This division includes major teams behind Android, Chrome, Google Photos, and hardware products like Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. Employees interested in the buyout have until Feb 20 to apply, with final decisions expected by March 25.

  • University of Michigan ☛ My vain fascination with ChatGPT

    It’s 3 p.m. on a Sunday and I begin spiraling, wondering: What do I actually look like?  I lean into my grimy white tabletop mirror to look at my face.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Federal News Network ☛ OSINT gets its own subcommittee on House intelligence panel

      The intelligence community has increasingly prioritized OSINT in recent years. Now, House lawmakers are creating a new subcommittee dedicated to the discipline.

  • Confidentiality

    • Bruce Schneier ☛ Trusted Encryption Environments

      Really good—and detailed—survey of Trusted Encryption Environments (TEEs.)

• Defence/Aggression

  • New York Times ☛ Venezuelan Migrant Sent to Guantánamo Bay Is ‘Not a Criminal,’ Family Pleads

    Luis Alberto Castillo arrived in the United States so that he could “give everything to his son,” said his sister. Then, while scrolling on TikTok, she found out he was headed to Guantánamo.

  • Latvia ☛ Textok rebrands to avoid Fentanylware (TikTok) mix-up

    Textok, a Latvia-founded company that helps businesses automate their tone of voice and style guides, is rebranding as 'Writitude', reports Labs of Latvia.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea to seek talks with US after Convicted Felon announces steel tariffs

    The government also intends to discuss response measures with Japan and the EU.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Are K-Pop Stocks Becoming a Safe Haven Amid Tariff Uncertainty? Hybe & SM Shares Spike As Institutional Holdings Increase

    Are K-pop stocks an especially appealing investment amid tariff-related market uncertainty? Multiple South Korean outlets believe so, and shares in Hybe, SM Entertainment, and more are up substantially on the year.

  • CS Monitor ☛ Risk of a trade war rises as Convicted Felon boosts tariffs globally

    President Convicted Felon is hiking tariffs on steel and aluminum, and pledging to impose more. The question is whether this leads to a widening conflict or not.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea’s Yoon blames ‘malicious’ opposition for martial law bid

    Mr Yoon complained that the South Korean opposition had failed to offer him due respect.

  • The Straits Times ☛ South Korea election official rejects impeached president Yoon’s fraud claims

    He had imposed martial law, claiming the elections body was unwilling to address hacking concerns.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Shock, outrage after elementary school teacher fatally stabs 8-year-old in South Korea

    The suspect, a female teacher in her 40s, was also found with self-inflicted injuries.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US aid freeze risks handing influence to China in Beijing’s backyard

    The freeze will likely be a boon for China’s Belt and Road Initiative, say analysts.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China builds space alliances in Africa as Convicted Felon cuts foreign aid

    On the outskirts of Cairo, a cutting-edge space lab was supposed to be the first in Africa to produce homegrown satellites. Step inside the plant, though, and the made-in-Africa image begins to fade

  • Federal News Network ☛ Where the US needs an iron dome is in the Pacific region

    U.S. air bases in the Indo-Pacific region are too vulnerable to attacks by China, leading to a sharp military imbalance in China's favor.

  • ADF ☛ As Drone Warfare Expands in Africa, Turkey Increases Share of the Market

    Few weapons have changed the nature of warfare in Africa quite like drones. And few drones have been as popular and as effective as those coming from Turkey.

  • The Straits Times ☛ US Navy ships sail through Taiwan Strait, first since Convicted Felon inauguration

    China said the mission increased security risks.

  • The Straits Times ☛ First US Navy ships sail through Taiwan Strait since Convicted Felon inauguration

    China said the mission increased security risks.

  • ADF ☛ Nigerian Soldiers in Counterterror Fight Carry Mental Health Burdens

    Many of the Nigerian security forces who have fought Boko Haram and Islamic State-affiliated terrorists struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health challenges long after serving their country on the battlefield.

  • France24 ☛ Ceasefire at risk: Israel holds emergency cabinet meeting

    An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to beef up troops in and around the Gaza Strip after Hamas threatened to call off a scheduled hostage release on Saturday. The official said Netanyahu also ordered officials 'to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn’t release our hostages this Saturday.' The preparation plans come after Netanyahu met with his Security Cabinet for four hours on February 11 to discuss Hamas’ threat, which has put the fragile ceasefire agreement in danger.

  • Defence Web ☛ US approves $600 million upgrade of Egyptian fast missile craft

    The US government has approved the modernisation of four of the Egyptian Navy’s fast missile craft in a deal worth an estimated $625 million. The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the potential sale on 4 February.

  • Defence Web ☛ Livestock theft a headache for eastern Free State police

    In addition to being an area where livestock roams – not always of own volition – in search of grazing, police and soldiers on the eastern Free State border with landlocked Lesotho have to contend with livestock theft.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ To safeguard the Arctic, Convicted Felon should work with Denmark and Greenland

    A former Danish foreign minister explains why Greenland matters to Denmark and what the best way forward is to ensure security.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ More stable trade and investment policies can bolster the Nigerian economy

    Nigeria’s political and economic trajectory has been marked by democratic breakthroughs as well as electoral setbacks, insurgent conflicts, and volatile reforms. While the country has made notable strides in reducing poverty and lowering inequality, continued efforts to address insecurity, poor health standards, and pervasive corruption are needed to enhance national freedom and prosperity.

  • Atlantic Council ☛ Securing energy independence: The US path to resilient enriched uranium supply chain

    One critical challenge for the United States in the energy security space is the sourcing of enriched uranium that fuels nuclear reactors across the country, vital for the energy transition away from fossil fuels.

  • JURIST ☛ African Union says Sudan civil war creates ‘worst humanitarian crisis in the world’

    The African Union warned on Tuesday that the Sudanese civil war has created the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world.” Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Chairman of an African Union panel on Sudan, said in a statement on Facebook (Farcebook) that the civil war has “hampered access to humanitarian relief, led to a shortage of food [...]

• Transparency/Investigative Reporting

  • American Oversight ☛ New Lawsuit Seeks MElon’s Communications, Pushes Back Against DOGE’s Secretive Efforts to Invade Agencies and Evade Oversight

    The first Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against DOGE will expose and thwart MElon’s efforts to evade accountability and the federal transparency law

• Environment

  • NYPost ☛ Venice to double controversial city entry fee to further curb crowding — and other tourist hotspots are taking notes

    Sea levels aren't the only thing rising.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • The Straits Times ☛ China plans ‘silver trains’ to encourage ageing boomers to travel

      China can tap seniors with pensions and significant savings to revive spending.

    • The Straits Times ☛ China launches new rocket designed to carry more satellites

      China has scheduled dozens of satellite launches this year as Beijing looks to match Starlink’s numbers.

    • Hackaday ☛ Improving Aluminium-Ion Batteries With Aluminium-Fluoride Salt

      There are many rechargeable battery chemistries, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Currently lithium-ion and similar (e.g. Li-Po) rule the roost due to their high energy density at least acceptable number of recharge cycles, but aluminium-ion (Al-ion) may become a more viable competitor after a recently published paper by Chinese researchers claims to have overcome some of the biggest hurdles. In the paper as published in ACS Central Science by [Ke Guo] et al. the use of solid-state electrolyte, a charge cycle endurance beating LiFePO4 (LFP) and excellent recyclability are claimed.

    • Silicon Angle ☛ Despite turning profitable, Lyft sees shares drop 10% on earnings miss and weak outlook

      Shares of Lyft Inc. dropped over 10% in late trading today after the ride-hailing company fell short of earnings in its fiscal 2024 fourth quarter and disappointed investors with a lower-than-expected outlook.

    • Science Alert ☛ Teleportation Achieved Between Quantum Computers in a World First

      Tiny jump, big leap.

    • Science Alert ☛ Volcanoes Could Reveal Where to Dig Minerals For Future Energy Technology

      Hottest new thing.

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ California’s FAIR Plan Gets $1 Billion Bailout After L.A. Fires

      The move will likely lead to higher costs for households across the state, and may push more insurers to leave, intensifying a home insurance crisis.

    • Science Alert ☛ Mantis Shrimp Reveals The Secret to Surviving Its Deadly Shockwaves

      Nature is wild!

    • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Kilauea is shooting lava again. It is the Hawaii volcano’s latest activity in an on-and-off eruption

      Kilauea volcano began shooting lava into the air once again on Hawaii's Big Island.

• Finance

  • China pledges measures to boost dwindling foreign investment

    Analysts say tariffs imposed on exports to the US are the biggest bugbear for foreign and Chinese investors alike.

  • WhichUK ☛ Telecoms price rises include rip-off contract inflation and up to 15% bill hikes

    Transparent price rises offer more clarity to customers, but some providers are implementing hefty increases

  • Federal News Network ☛ White House fires USAID inspector general after warning about funding oversight, officials say

    The White House fired the inspector general for the U.S. Agency for International Development on Tuesday. That's according to U.S. officials familiar with the dismissal but not authorized to comment publicly. It comes a day after the watchdog’s office released a report warning that the Convicted Felon administration’s shutdown of the agency had made it all but impossible to monitor $8.2 billion in humanitarian funds. One of the officials said the White House gave no reason for the firing.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s Hindus mark Thaipusam, with devotees flocking to Batu Caves complex

    Devotees carrying elaborate and heavy metal structures called “kavadis” walked barefoot to a temple.

  • New York Times ☛ Adams Asks for Voters’ Trust as Democrats Argue He Is in Thrall to Convicted Felon

    Mayor Eric Adams of New York gave a speech on Tuesday professing his innocence and saying that he would not put his personal interests above the city’s.

  • France24 ☛ US, UK do not sign Paris Hey Hi (AI) summit final statement

    US Vice President JD Vance told Europeans on February 11 their 'massive' regulations on artificial intelligence could strangle the technology, and rejected content moderation as 'authoritarian censorship'. The United States and Britain did not sign up to the final statement of a French-hosted Hey Hi (AI) summit on 'Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence'.

  • New York Times ☛ Enjoying the Pinnacle of Power, MElon Holds Court on Convicted Felon’s Stage

    The president let the spotlight in the Oval Office go to his billionaire friend/budget slasher, who cited blank checks and 150-year-old Social Security beneficiaries to justify purging the federal work force.

  • Pro Publica ☛ ProPublica Confirms Additional Staffers Helping Elon Musk and DOGE Dismantle U.S. Agencies

    The Trump administration is not even a month old, but billionaire Elon Musk has already brought in dozens of staffers to help him change the face of the U.S. government. ProPublica has learned the names of nine additional employees connected to Musk’s government overhaul, adding to a tracker the news organization published last week.

    The additional names help reveal Musk’s sudden and far-reaching influence across government, as these individuals have moved into a wide array of powerful posts — from chief information officers deciding government IT purchases, to seasoned lawyers helping the effort.

  • Off Guardian ☛ Technocracy Ascending – Part 3: Green Sustainable Slavery

    As detailed in Part 2 of “Technocracy Ascending,” David Rockefeller, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and the Trilateral Commission achieved a great deal in moving the world toward a new international economic order and global governance (i.e., a new world order).

  • Latvia ☛ Election observing age limit reduced in Latvia

    Latvian citizens who have reached the age of 16 can be authorized to act as election observers, according to the Election Observation Instructions approved by the Central Election Commission (CVK), LETA reported on February 10.

  • ICE Wants to Know If You’re Posting Negative Things About It Online

    ICE wants to hire contractors to monitor social media for threats. Those who criticize the agency could be pulled into the dragnet.

  • Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda

    • Did a Taiwan official say he didn’t want Chinese tourists coming in bulk?

      Verdict: Misleading

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • France24 ☛ Modi in the middle? Superpowers in the age of tech titans

    Is it down to the Digital Age? Not only has the world become a smaller place but now, more and more power’s concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. MElon’s offer to buy the parent company of Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Chaffbot from Scam Altman’s Proprietary Chaffbot Company just the latest example of a whole new age, an age where a billionaire like MElon can also have one foot in government as he and The Insurrectionist arbitrarily purge the federal payroll. Altman, who swiftly rejected MElon’s offer is here in Paris for the Hey Hi (AI) summit co-hosted by France and India. Are Silicon Valley tech titans to be courted or combatted at the dawn of an almighty scramble for the planet’s data and resources? Is it a battle for market share or a battle of values? In writing global governance rules for AI, who defines what's public and what's private, what's free speech and what's censorship or stoking hate? And how much in common between those that are neither the US nor China in setting global standards that actually protect citizens rights and foster trust in these most turbulent times?

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • China punishes Xinhua journalist who called for probe into Li Keqiang’s death

    Former Xinhua bureau chief Gu Wanming is jailed after penning an open letter, his retirement benefits revoked.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • JURIST ☛ Rights groups challenge Convicted Felon’s executive order suspending refugee admissions in court

    A coalition of advocacy organizations and individuals filed a lawsuit Monday, challenging US President Donald J. Convicted Felon’s executive order suspending refugee admissions.

  • Federal News Network ☛ 4 FEMA employees are fired over payments to reimburse New York City for hotel costs for migrants

    The Department of Homeland Security says four federal employees have been fired over payments to reimburse New York City for hotel costs for migrants.

  • TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ Republicans once railed against armed IRS agents. Now they want them for immigration enforcement

    Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wants IRS workers to help with the immigration crackdown.

  • Pro Publica ☛ Utah Ex-Therapist Scott Owen Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing His Patients

Monopoly Abuse and Windows TCO

• Patents

  • Unified Patents ☛ Muvox song selection patent monopoly challenged

    On February 11, 2025, Unified Patents filed an ex parte reexamination proceeding against U.S. Patent 11,899,713, owned and asserted by Muvox LLC, an NPE. The ‘713 patent monopoly is generally directed to selecting a song based on mood.

• Copyrights

  • Digital Music News ☛ Beyoncé Tickets Go On Sale — Is Another Oasis-Style Ticketing Meltdown About to Begin? Signs Point to Yes

    Tickets for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour are going on sale, triggering a frenzy on Ticketmaster that could be on par with that of Oasis’ reunion tour. Beyoncé has a history of hyping her fans up to previously unheard of levels.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Universal Music Greater China Scores ‘Exclusive Global Agreement’ With ‘King of Chinese Pop’ Liu Huan

    Universal Music Greater China’s aggressive expansion isn’t slowing down in 2025, which has officially delivered an “exclusive global agreement” between the UMG division and singer-songwriter Liu Huan. Beijing-headquartered Universal Music Greater China (UMGC) just recently announced the high-profile deal after making several noteworthy moves during 2024’s second half.

  • Public Domain Review ☛ Reality Iced: Robert J. Flaherty’s Nanook of the North (1922)

    The first documentary film, the first ethnographic film, as well as the first art film?